Nobless
by Rin Yumii
Summary: [TRANSLATION] During his second year at Hogwarts, Harry discovers he is not the one everyone believes he is. And on top of all, he has a family, rather chaotic, but still a family. He will immerse himself in the Magical Europe, and everything it implies… Includes (slight) Grindeldore, different schools of magic and a Political World!
1. A rather surprising revelation

This fan fiction belongs to **Jin Ginkaku** , I only translated it!

 **Disclaimer:** The characters belong to the amazing J.K Rowling. (except a few though...)

 **Author's Note:**

I think this fanfic is rather original in the way that I've never seen a story of this type in French fanfics – no I don't look on the English side.

Let's say without spoiling but to give you an idea, I'll enlarge the HP world which stays very much centered on the United-Kingdom, and build a wizarding Europe. And also show some aspects that aren't shown in HP. So this fanfic will be a bit (a lot) political and very inspired from our good old muggle world. For some examples, I will create a wizards' drug, a mafia system, a wizards' 'UN', well many things like that… well said like this, one could imagine that Harry will fall into drugs, will become part of the mafia but no don't worry!

With that said… enjoy this prologue!

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 **Prologue: A rather surprising revelation...**

* * *

The whisper following Harry since now two weeks accompanied him up to the second floor. He walked fast, slightly tense, because of this persistent hiss, and of the convocation that brought him to visit the Headmaster in this holidays' eve. He regularly turned round, persuaded of being followed, and not only by students in search of thrill. No, what was following him was far more dangerous than a simple group of students wanting to insult him.

Since Nearly Headless Nick's and Justin Finch-Fletchley's aggressions, a sinister atmosphere hovered over the castle, while everyone accused Harry of being the doer. Even Hermione and Ron didn't talk to him anymore, furious that he didn't tell them for his Parseltongue gift. Gift… or curse, thought Harry bitterly. When did this help him? Of course, talking to snakes was pleasant, but if it was to be seen as a monster, or a dark wizard, he preferred forgetting it, and never cross snakes of his life.

He ended up arriving at the bottom of a corridor, in front of a stone gargoyle that seemed alive. Again, Harry surprised himself to bless magic. He would never have enough time in his life to discover everything of this fantastic world.

"Password?" asked the gargoyle animating itself more frankly, in a sort of stretch which fascinated the Gryffindor at the point where he'd forgotten the question, until the statue repeats, slightly annoyed.

"Hum… Professor Dumbledore called me…" answered the browned-haired boy, taking out the letter he received in the morning. He read quickly the page again, and ended up at the post-scriptum. "Sherbet Lemon?" he tried without great conviction.

The gargoyle nodded and stepped aside. Behind it, the wall opened to let him pass. The young Potter climbed the spiral stairs, marveling again to see magic making the stairs spinning themselves. Finally, after one minute ascending, Harry arrived in front an oak door, surmounted by a knocker representing a phoenix. He knocked shyly at the door, but obtained no answer. He repeated his action and ended up entering in the office.

The office was a pretty and big circular room. At the back, a huge desk in oak and gold sat, with behind it, an armchair at least as imposing. A staircase leading to access a superior floor from where one could see a really massive library as well as a door that probably lead to the Headmasters' apartments. The walls were covered with previous Headmasters' portraits who stared at Harry with an obvious curiosity. On a shelf was the Sorting Hat, still as patched.

The twelve-years-old boy walked in a few steps to observe the small golden instruments aligned on the desk. But something on his right caught his look before he climbed the platform. Standing on a golden roost, he saw a miserable bird, half-plucked, and looking sick. He got closer and wanted to caress it, but when he raised his hand, the bird ignited in a burst of flames.

Harry let escape a scream, looking for something to extinguish the bird that kept burning. In an instant, there was nothing left of the bird, except a pile of ashes. Upstairs, the door opened on Dumbledore, who smiled at his student.

"Hello Harry, how are you?" he asked as he rapidly went down the stairs, while Harry kept staring at the roost.

"Professor… your bird… it caught fire…" stammered the boy, "I couldn't do anything."

"Oh, it's been a while since he wasn't well." Smiled Dumbledore, surprising Harry, who turned away from the roost. "You see Harry, Fawkes is a phoenix. And as all phoenixes, at the moment of his death, he ignites, and then reborn from his ashes."

The Survivor's gaze laid again on the roost, and he jumped, scared when from the ashes rose a baby bird's crumpled head. On a gesture from his Headmaster, he sat, without leaving the sight of the cackling phoenix.

"It's a pity you saw him the day of his combustion." Dumbledore noted. He then frowned his brows and kept talking. "But it's not the reason why I wanted to talk to you. How are you?"

The Gryffindor hesitated then confessed while lowering his head to look at his knees.

"Well… others don't talk to me since the dueling club…"

"I heard about what happened. The Parseltongues, because of certain dark wizards, are rather badly seen by the English, which, between us, is very regrettable. I know of Parseltongues that aren't as bad as I am."

Harry widened his eyes when hearing this. Dumbledore saw it and smiled.

"I've got many friends outside of England, in countries where mentalities are far different from here…" he sighed and continued. "You should not punish yourself for this gift. Even if you don't know why it was given to you, you should be proud to possess it. It is very rare and even more precious. But let's come back to the main subject… I wonder, for some time already… if I haven't committed too much mistakes regarding you. So I think the best is to explain the situation to you and give you the choice."

Harry nodded, intrigued. The Headmaster smiled one last time, and cast a spell on the pictures that became black all of a sudden.

"I prefer our conversation remains private, even if I trust our previous Headmasters. Well, I…" he hesitated, searching his words, even forgetting the student's presence:

"When I was younger, I was a brilliant student, a bit like Miss Granger. I studied a lot, sacrificing my family for my studies. I never came back for holidays, I preferred staying at the castle to benefit of its library. I took interest in everything, History, Runes, Transfiguration, Spells, Alchemy… my hard work gave me my Prefect's status. The summer of my sixth year, I went home, like every summer. My family and I lived in a village mainly wizard, and it's on this summer where I met Gellert Grindelwald, a young man with an immense power, with an infinite ambition. We became friends, and started to correspond during scholar periods. Our research was fascinating. We had the same interests, this insatiable thirst of knowledge, it was as if we belonged to a whole, as our understanding of the other was…"

The Headmaster's voice broke slightly, while his eyes landed on something afar. Harry, in front of him, listened attentively. Deep within, he knew this story was exclusive and not well-known by other wizards and he was proud of the distinction Dumbledore made him.

"At the end of my studies, my mother died, and I had to endorse the charge as head of the family. So I had to stop my research and my studies to take care of my brother and my sister, whom I was mad at. While I stayed at our old house, I received from time to time exhilarating letters from my friend Gellert, who, at this moment, travelled everywhere in Europe. Internally, I burned with jealousy and rage that I couldn't accompany him. Years passed, and I resumed my Transfiguration studies, while keeping my role as head of the family.

"One night, while my brother, my sister and I were at home, Gellert arrived in an impressive state of excitement. He had found elements for our research, and wanted to take me with him. I almost accepted, but my brother got angry, and accused me of abandoning them, him and our sister. Gellert insulted him, saying he was jealous and took his wand out. My brother did likewise, and it ended up degenerating."

The Headmaster's blue eyes closed painfully.

"My sister has always been magically unstable, and the argument caused within her a sort of attack that killed her. Gellert left, leaving me alone with a furious brother. While sadness and remorse gnawed me, I egotistically thought I wouldn't have to take care of my family anymore. It was true. My brother left the day after the burial, and never talked to me since. I was free. I then applied for a teaching position at Hogwarts, and became a Transfiguration teacher, while continuing my research in parallel. However, I forced myself to seclude from my friend Gellert.  
Five years after my sister's death, I contacted him back, I couldn't take it anymore. I needed him. It was obvious that my feeling for him had… changed. I finally confessed to him and…"

The Headmaster's look became even more melancholic, while Harry imagined him with another guy. It wasn't this much the fact that he had been with a man, but more that he had been with someone that surprised him.

"We spent one decay together. I taught at Hogwarts, and came back at our accommodation in the evening, where we kept making our research until dawn. During school holidays, we travelled and explored exotic regions where magic was practised otherwise. It was wonderful. We were happy. But this happiness didn't last… In 1914, war broke out, tearing apart Europe and its occupants. Gellert was persuaded we must take advantage of this war to reveal our existence to the Muggles. They were too busy to think about fighting us and would accept us if we proposed to offer our help for the victory. But no one listened, and he started feeding a sense of resentment. He didn't want wizards to hide anymore. War ended, without him calming down. His research became desperate. He wanted us to start a family, which was impossible, obviously. For my part, I discovered my family legacy and endorsed new responsibilities.

"In 1929, while I was named Head of Gryffindor, Gellert surprised me in my office at Hogwarts. He had, it seemed, found a way for two wizards to have a child. It was our greatest desire and during a long year, we put to practice fifteen years of research and theory. This ended up working. The 17th May 1930, Wilhem Xander Grindelwald was born. At that time – and still today – a child had to be conceived by a heterosexual couple, and so we couldn't give him our two names. Because I had to stay most of the year at Hogwarts, he took Gellert's name who raised him. We didn't try to divulge our method, because our society was still very strict regarding people like us.

"Wilhem was beautiful. He brightened our lives to Gellert and me. But again, it seemed to us like our happiness couldn't last. Even though my son was learning how to walk, I went to an orphanage to reveal to a young boy he was a wizard. He was named Tom Riddle. A wizard who, a few years later, would become Lord Voldemort…"

Harry's eyes widened. Voldemort had been an orphan, just like him? His stomach ached, while his gaze slid towards the Sorting Hat. Oh, he remembered what he had told him during the sorting… Slytherin would have guided him on the greatness path. He lowered his eyes on his knees, while Ron's voice echoed within him. You-Know-Who spoke Parseltongue. How many other similarities existed between him and his parents' murderer? He closed his eyes with anguish and focused on Dumbledore's voice who carried on, imperturbable, his story.

"During Tom's scholarship, I constantly kept an eye on him. He seemed strange to me, too perfect. The faculty as well as all students were at his mercy. I was the only one to be cautious about him and I happened to doubt sometimes. The only peaceful moments were when I went back to our apartment, where I could finally see Gellert and Wilhem. Wilhem who grew up slowly. He was very powerful... too much maybe... we didn't know whether it came from us – Gellert approximately had my magical strength, to tell you the truth... – or from the magical conception. However, he quickly had magical accidents of an impressive strength, but they never were dramatic.

"While Tom frequented aristocrats and made connections, the second Muggle World War broke out. At the same time, one reported actions of a dark wizard in Germany. I was designated to fight him. It was the start of a chase which lasted four years. My life was paced by the fights in Germany and in Europe where I had to protect whole villages, my lessons at Hogwarts where I had became the Headmaster of Gryffindor, and my rare moments of rest I devoted to my family. Wizards entirely relied on me, while I wore out day after day. It happened times when I wished to stay in our little apartment and never get out of it ever again. Maybe I should have done this…

"The dark wizard was very clever and skilled. He appeared and disappeared with an incredible speed. No information about him reached me before I cornered him in Berlin, a bombing night. On that night, I signed my own death.  
I had always known Gellert wanted the rebirth of the wizarding world, but I never understood that to achieve this, he wanted the death of the Muggles. So, when I saw him, setting buildings on fire..."

There was a silence in the office, while Dumbledore saw the scene again before his eyes. Harry suffered for his Headmaster, and wanted to take his hand a moment, in a comforting way, but when the idea just reached his mind, the story carried on:

"If I knew nothing about this dark wizard, it was because he knew when I had to go to such place, because he knew the way I thought, because he advised me. He knew everything of me and I knew nothing of him, even though he slept next to me every night…  
The following fight was terrible. I was torn apart by my love for him and my duty as saviour. After a few hours, I took advantage. I didn't kill him – how could I have had? – but locked him up in Nurmengard. Our son studied at Durmstrang at that time. He didn't forgive me for what I had done and disappeared without leaving me any sign."

This time, the Headmaster's blue eyes shone with tears silently running down his cheeks to end up in his beard. Harry could only feel sorry for the old man.

"While the wizarding world acclaimed me, I was broken, without a family. I went back to Hogwarts, becoming Deputy Headmaster, but the heart just wasn't with me. People congratulated me, smiled to me, gave me the title of Order of Merlin, offered me a Chocolate Frog in my name, and the only thing I could think about was my lost son.

"Years passed, and I kept sinking into solitude. It seemed to me as if nobody was able to understand me. So, I worked, the same way I was used to during my childhood. But the research I conducted changed nothing to my sadness and the emptiness I felt. Then, again, people turned to me when Voldemort got into action. The nightmare started again.

"I had to protect Muggle villages during enemies' raids, collaborate with a Ministry of Magic eaten by corruption and keep directing Hogwarts. But while corpses accumulated around me, I was forgetting my misfortune and, finally, a miracle happened. My son who had heard about me through wizards newspapers came to see me one night.

"He had grown up since the last time I had seen him and his powers had increased a lot... he was just there, in front of me. I forgot about the war for one night. He told me that once he left Durmstrang, he studied Arithmancy and then became a Spells Breaker. He got married to a young lady whom he met during his studies and who was, since then, pregnant.

"The weeks that followed were a mix of battles and meetings with my son. However, it quickly appeared to me that he was sick. I talked to his wife about it, he didn't want to hear anything about it. I made many research before finally understanding.

"Each body has its limits. Wilhem was too powerful for his body. His magic was too condensed within him, and was eating him. I looked for a cure, but it was already too late. A year after seeing him again, he died. His wife gave birth to two beautiful babies, but she joined him during labour, probably because of the magical strength held by the two children.

"So I found myself with two very young orphans during war times. It was impossible for me to keep them. I placed them in two different English families who had proven me more than once to be trustworthy. It was a great sorrow for me, but it seemed to be the best of things to do. I had to fight Voldemort and my grandchildren would have been in danger with me.

"Three months before Voldemort's fall, one of the families has been annihilated during a fight. I took back one of the two twins, but left the other one in his family, thinking he would be safer there. What I didn't know was that a traitor would give the place of their hideout to Voldemort and that he would pay them a visit. The rest of the story is certainly more than familiar to you..."

"Hum... no?" answered Harry, lost.

"It was you, Harry." Dumbledore murmured. "You were the child I had placed at the Potter's place." He continued more rapidly, fearing to be disrupted. "I thought they were safe, but Pettigrew sold them and Voldemort tried to kill you. When I arrived, it was too late. You were the Survivor, but it was impossible for me to take you back. So I placed you with the sister of Lily Potter, your adoptive mother. What I didn't understand was that Petunia loved more than anything her sister and she would hold you responsible for Lily's death. I waited years before seeing you again. The Transfiguration Spell had given you James' and Lily's traits, and when I saw you in the Great Hall for the first time, I thought I could never come back."

"But then... why telling me now?" asked Harry, more and more perplex. He was split between surprise, anger and joy. He always thought he was Harry Potter, even after the discovery of the wizards' world. But apparently, James and Lily were only his adoptive parents, who took him in on the demand of Dumbledore, his grandfather. He had a grandfather!

"I thought you would be happy, but... I was wrong." Admitted the old man looking sorry. "Your status as Survivor is very hard to bear, and I... I propose you to restart everything. You can take back your real identity, your real appearance and live with me. Obviously, if you do not wish so, you can stay Harry Potter..."

"I..."

"You've got all your time to think about it." Assured his _grandfather_ while searching in a drawer of his desk. "I just... I just wanted you... to know this, and decide for yourself."

"But... why did you wait?" exclaimed Harry with curiosity and a slight anger.

The old man sighed:

"I wanted to give Harry Potter a chance. If you take back your real identity, you'll have other problems. But I think you'll be happier."

"So that's why..."

"Yes. In the first place, your safety is compromised at Hogwarts with all these events. And I doubt you'll ever find peace with your Survivor's status. Students can sometimes be very cruel..."

Harry nodded, his eyes reflecting his loneliness and his sadness. There was a voice in his head which told him to wait before deciding, however, he wanted to accept immediately and leave this role.

"What would I do?"

"You'd become my grandson, even if your name will be Grindelwald. Ladislas Alexei Grindelwald. You'll live in the Dumbledore's dwelling, and will study wherever you want. I'd advise you another school rather than Hogwarts, because here you'll be judged by your name…"

"I'd have a family." Softly murmured Harry, already knowing he'd accept. After all, it was his strongest desire, the one shown by the Mirror of Erised.

"Yes…"

There was a silence while grandfather and grandson shared a meaningful look. Then, the youngest boy in the room nodded, and timidly smiled to Dumbledore. The old man smiled back before looking at him over his glasses.

"I don't want you to rush," he reassured him, standing up to look at the yard through a window. "I saw you'll stay at the castle for the holidays starting tomorrow, you've got time to think about it. Come tell me your… decision when you think you're ready."

"But…" tried Harry, who wanted to accept immediately.

"No," softly cut the Headmaster, "what I offer you may seem attractive to you, but you must take your time to take this decision. Once you will have your real appearance, there will be no going back. Moreover, this also means leaving your friends, such as Miss Granger or Mister Weasley…"

The brown-haired nodded, thoughtful. His new grandfather smiled at him one last time before he left the office. While he went down the spiral stairs, the Survivor remembered his Headmaster's speech. He didn't get everything because of his poor knowledge of the magical world. He had understood Grindelwald was a rather wicked wizard, like Voldemort, but a few names like Nurmengard, or Durmstrang let him puzzled. Also, learning that Voldemort had been one of Dumbledore's students was very strange…

Everything was strange, the young Gryffindor thought while heading towards the Common Room. Turning at a corridor, he felt like a presence behind him, and quickly turned round, scrutinizing the darkness of the corridor. There was nothing.

He sighed, relieved, and kept walking. Lately, he became nervous just walking at Hogwarts, but after having heard these dark words – no one else could hear – and discovered many petrified bodies, he didn't feel at ease. If he had stayed, it was only because he knew the Dursley would blame him for his untimely come back.

Once in front of the Fat Lady's Painting, he hesitated a moment. He heard through the canvas the laughter of his fellow classmates, who would keep quiet once he entered, to better stare at him. Even the Fat Lady was looking at him curiously.

"Harry, what are you doing?" called a sudden voice behind him, making him jump.

"Neville!" he exclaimed, smiling. Neville was one of the rare students who didn't consider him as Slytherin's heir, and kept talking to him like before. "What are you doing here?"

"I can ask you the same question." Happily replied his comrade while showing him a book about mandrakes. "I wanted to get information, so I asked Professor Sprout to give me book titles that could interest me."

"It's good!" Harry got excited with a wide smile. He had understood for quite a bit of time that Herbology was the young Longbottom's favourite subject. "I went to see Professor Dumbledore."

"Was it for the rumours... well... you-know-what?" his friend worried.

"No, it was for..."

His voice quietened while he searched for his words. He didn't really see himself telling anyone he wasn't really Harry Potter. Or even that Dumbledore – Albus Dumbledore! – was his grandfather. Fortunately, Neville understood he couldn't talk about it, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't have to tell me. I'm glad it's not because of what the others say..."

"Thanks Neville..."

The Painting closed, leaving the Survivor alone in the corridor. He went to a window and observed the field. The lawn was covered by a layer of snow which reflected the moon's clarity. The lake, frozen for a week, was now a dark abyss which unconsciously gave chills to Harry.

He quickly turned away from the window and entered the Common Room, which was empty in the holiday's eve, the students packing their luggage. The young Survivor stayed in front of the chimney until midnight, thinking about the future Dumbledore was offering him.

Deep inside, he was in the same situation as a year and a half ago, when Hagrid revealed him the existence of the magical world. He didn't hesitate, mainly because his life couldn't be worse than with the Dursley.

But today?

Now that the entire school perceived him as a danger? And that Ron and Hermione didn't talk to him anymore? Didn't he want a new life, with, this time, a family that would love him?

The fire in the chimney crackled in a sort of answer. He had to decide by himself, he thought in a sigh. However, he would have much preferred not having the choice, that Dumbledore told him he would live with him from there on, without any discussion. This would have been easier. But also very cowardly of him, he noted with a second sigh. Where had been the brave Gryffindor?

He had only two alternatives: either he stayed Harry Potter, the orphan and saviour of the magical world, Parseltongue and presumed Slytherin's heir; or he became Dumbledore's grandson, discovered a family, and restarted a new life more normal, without any Colin Creevey to take a photo of you every time. It was obvious he would regret it his whole life if he declined Dumbledore's offer. Whereas if he accepted it…

He would surely miss Ron and Hermione, but he had already lost friends because of Dudley. And it never was the end of the world.

The Survivor's look brightened. He sat back up from his uncomfortable position – the carpet being soft up to an extent – and went to his bed.

In the dormitory, Ron snored, while Dean and Seamus whispered. They stopped a moment, staring at their classmate who went to bed, and kept their quiet conversation. The Survivor sunk into his blanket, and looked for sleep, that he could unfortunately not reach. What Dumbledore had told him echoes within him for many hours, until he was too tired to think and he fell asleep.

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 **Author's note:**

Yes! Grindeldore!

To be honest with you, I've never seen any where they have a child, so I'm rather proud of not taking the idea from someone else... for those who don't like Male Pregnancies, don't worry, there is only the suggestion with the Grindeldore, but otherwise it doesn't appear at all. In all, they were geniuses, but no one else can do the same…

Second point, I've watched Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – go watch it if you haven't already, which you should have – so I might get inspired from a character (no spoilers) for the rest.

See you for new adventures!

.

 **Translator's note(s):**

F*ck*ng finally! OML I've spent ten hours translating only the prologue! I'm so tired right now. I hope you like the story so far (I personally love it!) there are about eighteen chapters already online, so if you want to have a go at reading the original French story, you know where to go!

I personally know the writer and she gave me her consent for this translation.

I usually write in French too, but I love this fanfic so much I wanted you to be able to enjoy it as well! So there you are! Just give me some time to translate the first chapter, which is obviously longer than this one…

Whatsoever, if you could leave a nice review that would be great, I'll transmit it to the author, and she'll give an answer that I'll give you in the beginning of the next chapter. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the prologue! See you later!

By the way, can you tell this much English isn't my first language?


	2. A new grandfather

**Author's note:**

Hi!

There is the next chapter of Nobless!

I don't talk too much about Harry's twin in this one so it doesn't go too fast, but you'll know who it is in the next chapter… I try not to rush the story, but don't worry, there will be more explanations afterwards…

Enjoy!

 **Translator's Note:**

The author would like to thank **Scarlett Woman** for her lovely review! And I do too!  
It really is motivational to see that people want to read your work. I would also like to thank everyone who followed and favourited this fanfic, really, a big thank you to all of you guys!

 **Extra Note:**

SNCF is a French train company, notice the pun! Society Negotiating with Chimneys Flamed would be the translation, but it doesn't work too well in English, so I left it in French, plus the full name appears only once in the entire fanfic so far (26 chapters now).

 **Original Author** : Jin Ginkaku

 **Disclamer** : The characters belong to the amazing J.K. Rowling. (except a few though...)

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A new grandfather**

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The day after, Harry woke up with the certainty of not wanting to be the Survivor anymore. The one to avoid because he had the ability to talk to snakes, or else, the one who was alone and would stay alone, as the only person to have ever survived the death spell. He had always be alone, being at home, where his wizard condition disgusted the Dursley, or else at school where Dudley wouldn't admit his cousin could have friends.

He had thought this could change. Really. When Hagrid had come and told him he was a wizard, a new world had opened up, and with it, the possibility to leave the loneliness that never left him during his childhood.

For a while, his life had seemed like a dream. He had two wonderful friends, funny and friendly room-mates, globally interesting and supporting teachers… and this magic! This magic so fascinating, so exciting, so bewitching… but now, he was avoided by all, and at times, even him doubted of his actions. After all, he could hear a voice in his head speaking about killing people. It wasn't nothing, even for wizards, Hermione had insisted. And now that the entire school knew he was a Parseltongue…

The young Gryffindor shook his head and got out of his bed, having a thought for the Uncle Vernon who would say he is a victim for having such thoughts. During the time he washed, he took the decision to meet Dumbledore to accept his offer. As he had thought about it the day before, he would regret his entire life if he refused, and, if it allowed him to resume a good life, already knowing the basis of the wizarding world, maybe he could finally live his life as he ever wished to…

It was passed ten in the morning when he left the Gryffindor Tower and crossed the castle's corridors now emptied from all students. Again, the feeling of being followed stroke him, and he ended up running to arrive in front of the gargoyle at the second floor. Breathless, he murmured the password, and let himself being carried by the moving stairs. He hesitated a moment in front of the office's closed door, but heard his grandfather call for him, so he entered.

"Hello Harry," greeted the Headmaster. "Have you slept well?"

Dumbledore, sat in his armchair like the day before, was looking at him affectionately. The Survivor grinned, which was enough for his grandfather to understand.

"I suppose you thought during most of the night." Sighed the old man. "Did you want to see me to elucidate a few points? This must not be easy to understand for you who know our world since a year only…"

"Well," started Harry who drew in his courage to finish, "I reflected as you asked me to, and I decided to accept your offer."

Dumbledore nodded, thoughtfully, then stood up from his seat to begin to perambulate.

"Well…" he said, "if you are as stubborn as your father, it will be hard for me to make you change your mind, especially since I don't want to myself."

They smiled to each other, while the sun flooded into the office through the stained glasses. The older of the two looked into the shelves behind the desk to retrieve some parchments, and sat back in front of Harry who stared at him with curiosity.

"Being on holidays will make your change of identity easier." Declared Dumbledore who started to explain to his grandson the process they were going to use. "I put three spells on you when I entrusted you to the Potter. The first was a simple transfiguration spell, to give you the physical traits of your adoptive parents. You will just need to drink a potion before going to bed to regain your original appearance.

The second spell is a little more complex. The truth is, you're not twelve, but thirteen years old, and so I blocked your growth to make you seem younger. The aim was that no one could doubt your origin. And it worked… the problem is that now, in order to break the spell, it will require me to take several steps, so your body can take it. As for the third spell, it was to bridle your magic. Your father's magical accidents during his childhood were very impressive, and I didn't want these events to repeat, especially in a house owned by Muggles. And it was as well so that the pressure between your magic and your body wasn't too strong. Unfortunately for you, your mother also came from a pretty strong family/environment, and I was scared the same thing that happened to Wilhem would happen to you too… Now, I found a way to reduce the pressure without necessarily shackle your magic. I will talk about this further once settled. For now, I propose you to start by making you grow up, and tonight, I'll give you the potion to give you your appearance back. How is that?"

"It's okay with me." Muttered the Gryffindor, impressed by everything his grandfather had to put in place in order to protect him.

"We can wait if you wish to." Said Dumbledore while looking at him above his glasses.

"Well… maybe just making me grow up for now… so I can get used to it." Suggested the brown-haired shyly, quickly reassured by his grandfather's nod.

"It is surely wiser. No need for us to rush. What I suggest to you, is to bring you to the Dumbledore's Domain this evening for you to settle there. There is no one at the castle, and your absence will not be noticed until the students are back to school, which gives us time to enroll you with the Ministry. However, for further security, we'll go to the Embassy of Russia, your mother's native country. In Europe, the name Grindelwald is still badly seen, and I don't want you to suffer from it…"

"So… I will not be English?" asked Harry, who's never left England before.

"No." Dumbledore replied. "The Domain where we live isn't even in this country, and… to be honest, I don't think this is the best one for you at this time. Voldemort isn't dead, he's looking for you, don't doubt this."

"Yes but, if I'm not Harry Potter…"

"England stays a threat for you." The Headmaster insisted. "Especially if one hears you're my grandson."

There was a silence during which Harry thought about the consequences of his choice. Oh, he didn't regret, but he didn't expect to change countries.

"There are some things you don't know about," his grandfather admitted, "but it's for your sake."

He then changed the subject, and ended up explaining him how his holidays would happen. Dumbledore suggested he finished this year's scholarship with a tutor to catch up his missing year, and in summer, he'll integrate a school in fourth year. He'll need to work hard, his grandfather warned, but this didn't scare him. He was mostly glad he wasn't small anymore, having been mocked and bullied during his childhood.

Two hours had passed during which they talked about his next life, and even ended up eating in the office, with a complicity that somewhat surprised Harry. He always thought his relationship with the Headmaster was privileged, but now, it was clearly different from one he could maintain with other students. But after all, he was his grandfather…

Dumbledore talked to him about the Domain, hidden in a forest in Germany and that was transmitted from generation to generation in the family for many centuries. Apparently, the family was very important in the Middle-Ages, and it's only towards the end of the XIXth Century that it lost of its prestige, quickly regained thanks to Albus who had gained the title of White Mage.

At around 2pm, someone knocked at the Headmaster's office door, and the two Dumbledore heard McGonagall's voice. The Headmaster gestured at his grandson to climb the stairs to take the door leading to his apartments, indicating him there was a hidden access that lead back to the Gargoyle's staircase. Harry followed his instructions, and quickly found himself in the second floor's corridor, under the tired eye of the Gargoyle.

"What's it for? I just opened the way…" it growled scornfully.

The young Gryffindor stepped back, and went back to the Gryffindor Tower, to pack up his stuff, because after all, he would leave in the evening. This didn't take him a long time. His school textbooks were quickly put in his suitcase, with his clothes he'll need to change if he grew up. The few items of value he possessed, that is to say, his Invisibility Cloak and the photo album from Hagrid, were put in his school-bag.

It was rather sad, thought Harry while observing the dormitory he occupied for a year and a half, to know that all he possessed could fit in a simple suitcase, knowing that his room in Privet Drive didn't contain anything valuable. He got rid of his sinister thoughts, and went downstairs with his belongings in the Common Room to play Wizard's Chess. He didn't improve much since last year, but he could kill some time, and soon, the Fat Lady's Painting opened, revealing his grandfather.

"Are you ready?" he kindly asked, taking his suitcase from him.

Harry nodded and followed him while he left Gryffindor's Tower. Strangely, he had no feeling of being followed, accompanied by his grandfather. They went down the floors to reach the Hall.

"We are going to Apparate to London, so we're not noticed by anyone." Dumbledore said, holding out his arm while they passed the huge door and stepped in the park. "Have you ever done it before?"

"Hum… I don't think so…" Harry replied, having a bad feeling about it.

His grandfather smiled to him, and once they reached Hogwarts' gate, tightened his grip on his arm. Before even understanding what was happening to him, Harry felt himself hooked by the belly, while being compressed in a narrow pipe. The next minute, he was in a street not too far from Diagon Alley.

"It's, it's…" he stammered, "It's even worse than Floo Powder!"

Albus smiled gently and lead Harry with him on the Alley, after lowering their hoods on their faces to keep anonymity. Harry recognized Flourish and Blotts, whose store-front exhibited the whole collection of Lockhart's biography, and a bit further, Gringotts, the Wizarding Bank. However, his grandfather stopped him before they reached it. They entered a small shop whose name was neatly written in golden letters. The only room only consisted of a counter with a huge book on top, and a few armchairs arranged in a waiting space. Finally, a glass door lead to the back shop, a courtyard which, from where Harry was, seemed empty. Apart from them two, there was no one in the shop whose temperature was abnormally low.

Suddenly, a ghost passed through a wall, and happily said, even if his voice sounded fake:

"Welcome to the **SNCF, Société Négociatrice pour Cheminées Flambées**. I am Albert, to serve you. How may I help you?"

Harry stepped back slightly, and sat in the furthest seat from the ghost while his grandfather talked politely to Albert.

«We would like to go to Germany, as soon as possible.»

Albert adjusted his ghostly glasses on his nose, and began to flick through the register.

«Hum, I can free you the chimney for Munich. If you want to go to Berlin, you'll have to wait a little longer.»

«It's perfect.» Dumbledore smiled, waving at his grandson to join him in front of the counter.

«Munich then,» the ghost ratified, and on his register, a light appeared on the map he was consulting. «That will be 7 galleons and 6 sickles.»

Dumbledore paid the required amount, while Albert looked for the right page on the register, to note down the travel, as well as the amount. The ghost then invited them to the back shop, where a rather old and way bigger chimney than average awaited them.

"These chimneys are made for long travels," Dumbledore told Harry who felt a bit lost. "They are more powerful, but require heavy maintenance. Everyone doesn't have the means to install one, so the SNCF is in charge of them. Most of the time, they hire ghosts, so they don't have to pay for life insurance, and thus make economies. This is why the shops are this cold."

They entered the hearth and waited for the ghost who arrived right after.

"The way to Munich will open in an instant. Please do not leave any luggage out of the chimney, as no refund will take place by the SNCF in case of loss. Have a safe trip!"

While Harry thought to himself that Albert seemed like a robot in the way he talked, the chimney caught fire. He jumped when he felt the flames around him, but his grandfather took him by the arm and indicated him that is was a magical and painless fire. The chimney consumed itself for a short minute, before the fire evaporated as quickly as it appeared.

The two English got out of the chimney and watched the surroundings, which looked exactly like the place they had just left. The only difference was the ghost who greeted them.

"Welcome to Munich. It is precisely 18:14. Thank you for leaving the chimney, and do not forget your luggage. We thank you for travelling with us, and hope to see you soon!"

Before Harry could react, his grandfather and him were already outside. They lead to a market aisle smaller than Diagon Alley. There was a dense crowd, which wasn't surprising for a Saturday during holidays. They didn't linger in front of the shops and quickly left the wizarding world. Reaching an uncrowded alley, they Apparated. The feeling was still as unpleasant and didn't leave straight away when they arrived at the border of a forest.

A narrow path went through the trees - larches said Dumbledore when they started walking.

"So we are in Germany…" whispered Harry while observing with curiosity the forest surrounding him.

"Yes, to the limits of the Dumbledore's Domain." his grandfather precised, who despite his age, walked with fluidity between the dead leaves, the roots, and the rocks. "It is protected," he continued without seeming out of breath, "the same way Hogwarts is. Muggles who venture into this forest lose their way, and always come back to the path that runs along it. And the wizards who would want to access it must be accompanied by a member of the family, or else they'll get lost, and there… depending on their intentions, they can end up dying, forever lost."

Harry shivered, and approached his guide significantly, vaguely wondering how many wizards died like this.

"Do not worry," softly laughed his grandfather, "you are part of the family. If you ever get lost, the forest will bring you back to the house."

The youngest stayed silent, not convinced. Their crossing lasted for about half-an-hour, during which they talked, Harry regaining his courage. His grandfather told him about the animals living in the forest, Muggles and magical species, and which protected the Domain from intruders. The path went more and more upwards, and they were forced to slow down, breathless.

"You father never saw the Domain," Dumbledore explained, while the sky started darken. "I… I never told Gellert about it, and when I saw Wilhem again, I wanted to wait for the end of the war, unfortunately… I didn't have the occasion to."

"Do you live there?" asked Harry with curiosity.

"During school time, I stay at Hogwarts, in my apartments, but yes, I come back during summer." Dumbledore replied, taking out his wand to light the way. "And during some holidays, I manage to come back too."

"Nobody knows?"

"No, I always insisted this place stays a secret," the Headmaster explained, "because of my… reputation, people have the tendency to look for me, and the Domain offers me a tranquility I do not tend to see disappear."

He stopped when they arrived at the top of the path. Harry breathed out of surprise when he saw what was the Dumbledore's Domain. The hill they just climbed completely circled the Domain of its forest, which seemed like a bowl, thus offering a pleasant feeling of safety. At the bottom of the bowl, a lake spread over several hectares, reflecting the trees' image at its surface. Finally, a building made in light stone, looking like a small castle, rose up gracefully.

Getting closer, Harry could observe the castle with more attention. The latter had two floors and had a rectangular shape, a large tower with a bright red tiled roof affixed. The windows were large, made in wood, and Harry immediately imagined well-lit and warm rooms. A vine hung onto the white rock of the facade, contrasting with the blood-like red of the leaves, which reminded of the roof's colour. In front of the castle, which Harry judged was too small to be called one, a terrace lead to the lake, which ended in a wooden pontoon where a bark was hooked.

It wasn't luxurious, the architecture wasn't even too extraordinary, but Harry instantly loved it. This place inspired trust and peace.

"How do you find it?" Kindly asked Dumbledore while he walked along the banks of the lake to get closer to the castle.

"Beautiful…" his grandson whispered, still amazed by the place's beauty.

"I must have had the same reaction," softly laughed the white mage, "Oh, it was less well maintained, and to be honest, abandoned, but it already had this particular charm…"

They arrived in front of the entrance, two wooden doors stylistically engraved. As Harry thought, the interior was as beautiful as the outside. The floor downstairs was made of rocks, the walls were in very light wood, and, because of different chimneys, the rooms were very warm. This floor included a living room, its windows offering a view on the terrace and the lake, a kitchen so big it could serve as a dining room, with a big table made in solid wood in the centre, its twin being in the official dining room. There were also fours reasonably sized bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Before he could think about it, Harry found himself exploring his new home, which seemed with each new second passed, more beautiful, more fantastic. He climbed the stairs which were in the entry, and explored his new house. The upper floors were crossed by a main corridor in their length, decorated with many old Dumbledore's paintings. In total, there were eight bedrooms in the first floor, as well as a library with an attic, which served as a study room. In the second floor finally, were the family's bedrooms, way bigger - each possessing a bathroom - and a second living room, smaller than the other one.

"As you may have noticed," Dumbledore intervened while they climbed together the last few steps to get to Harry's new bedroom "the house also has a tower, which is my office on the first floor, its access being through the library, and my suite on the second floor, big word to describe a bedroom...Ah, there we are!"

They had crossed the main corridor, itself crossing the building in its length on the first and second floors, and they stopped in front of a normal looking door. In front of it, a door twin to this one, was engraved to give the form of a moon intertwined with a runic symbol.

"Your door will decorate itself along with your bedroom." his grandfather reassured him when he noticed his look for the other door. "Come on, go in!" he kindly encouraged.

Harry obeyed and went through the door. His new bedroom was very luminous, with two windows offering a view on the lake and the forest surrounding it. A double bed sat on a side of the room, while the other was occupied by a desk and an empty bookcase. A door next to the bed lead to the bathroom, which was as spacious as half of the bedroom with its bathtub seeming like a bassin.

"Obviously, the furniture and the decoration will change," Dumbledore announced, "I will take you to a craftsman during the holidays, and if you want, I have books with interesting spells for…"

"It's beautiful," Harry cut him, his eyes filling with tears. "Thank you…"

His grandfather curiously stared at him, then smiled, sadly. This room, which at the moment had nothing so special but the dazzling view it offers, seemed to his grandson like a wonder, and this, because he spent his childhood in a Broom Closet. He hesitated, but took Harry in his arms.

"It's normal, Harry." he said while stroking his grandson's brown hair. "We are a family now."

* * *

 **Translator's note :**

The author didn't leave a note at the end of this chapter, but I want to. I'm sorry it took so long to publish the first chapter (more than two months...), I'm sorry! I actually planned to publish two during Easter break, but I was busy preparing for an exam, and I had assignments to do before that… Anyways, I hope you enjoy the story so far, if any of you understand French and want to read more ahead of this translation, you can go read it!  
Any suspicions on who Harry's twin could be so far? ;)

I'll see you next time, I don't know when exactly, but I'll work on the next chapters as soon as my schedule allows me to, since my exam is on Monday, and I have five more assignments (should be the last ones) to complete within two weeks.


	3. Preparing a new life

**Author's Note:**

Hello!

There's the new chapter, which is a bit of a transition…

Thanks a lot for the reviews, I encourage people who don't already to do so.

As for Harry's twin, you'll have a little surprise at the end... :)

Enjoy this chapter and see you later for the next chapter!

 **Translator's Note:**

This chapter is rather short, but I still took long to translate it, because I'm not hyped up on it… not that it was boring, but almost nothing happens. From chapter three onwards, you should like it more as Harry will finally meet his twin!

Well then, enjoy this one!

 **Original Author** : Jin Ginkaku

 **Disclamer** : The characters belong to the amazing J.K. Rowling. (except a few though...)

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Preparing a new life**

* * *

The next morning, Harry took some time to figure where he was. Memories from the day before suddenly came back, waking him roughly. After the house's visit, his grandfather and him ate in the kitchen where a succulent meal awaited them, like Harry never had before. Even the banquets at Hogwarts weren't as good, he thought while helping himself for the third time. They talked during dinner of what he'd do the next day, and agreed on enrolling him at the Russian embassy while staying at the property. Harry then asked if they could push to another day the potion which would give him back his original appearance. In a way, he was curious to see what he would look like after taking it, in another, he was nostalgic when he thought about leaving his green eyes and his hair that would never comb.

His grandfather naturally accepted, stating that when they go out to buy furnitures for his room, they take polyjuice potion so that they stay anonymous. They talked late in the evening, until Dumbledore sent his grandson to bed. Of course, the said grandson took time to fall asleep, excited by the recent events. The Dumbledore's Domain was beautiful, and his room -his room!- would be soon decorated as he pleases.

So it was past ten when he went downstairs to go to the kitchen where he found his grandfather reading a newspaper, different from the Daily Prophet. The old man smiled when he arrived, and put the newspaper on the table, inviting him to sit.

"Hello, have you slept well?" he asked while clicking his fingers. Immediately, different plates containing different cakes appeared, as well as a bottle of pumpkin juice, which Harry used.

"Yes." he answered with enthusiasm, while shoveling a piece of cake which seemed to be the best of all times. Even Mrs. Weasley didn't cook as well. He dared to ask who made it, amusing his grandfather.

"It's Skeeny, our house elf." Albus answered, smiling. He called the said Skeeny, and a creature the size of a six-years-old kid appeared in the kitchen, right in front of Harry who choked in his glass when he recognized Dobby.

"But…"

He stopped immediately, because the creature in front of him wasn't Dobby. It really looked like him, but his bobbly eyes were grey, compared to Dobby, and his cloth was cleaner, in a much better shape.

"Skeeny, this is Ladislas," Dumbledore announced with a smile, "and Ladislas, this is Skeeny."

If the ex-Gryffindor noticed the use of a different name than his, he couldn't think more as the elf started to madly clap his hands.

"Master Ladislas is found!" chirped the creature with a sincere joy which confused Harry.

"Erm…" he hesitated, "you cook really well, erm… thanks…"

The elf's grey eyes widened in surprise, and started babbling again, which Harry hardly listened to.

"You've never seen a house elf before, have you?" his grandfather supposed with amusement.

"Well, I have." Harry answered and started telling his moments with Dobby, which had him warned by the Ministry for use of magic in front of Muggles, and one week of starvation established by Vernon who didn't appreciate seeing his contract with Mr. Mason reduced to nothingness.

"How strange…" Dumbledore murmured while stroking his beard, "He shouldn't have been able to warn you… and elves are very loyal towards their masters, it takes much for one to insult them… as for betraying their secrets… however this…-Dobby, is it?- managed to… strange…"

Harry shrugged, and finished his breakfast in silence, while his grandfather thought. He took advantage of this to take a better look at the kitchen. He wanted to quickly know his new house, and get used to it. The kitchen was a room all in length, of which the centre was occupied by a long oak table. A whole side of the room was furnished with muggles' items, but also wizards'. Thus, an electrical fridge sat next to a shelf with pumpkin juice bottles, and the cooker had been enlarged to allow a cauldron to boil on the fire.

Above a large worktop, a big bay window showed the forest circling the property. The room was heated by a chimney which took an entire wall. Finally, there were three doors, which lead to the guests rooms, the living room and the entrance. Put aside what was on the table, everything was tidy and stored on the shelves.

"Are you done?"

The soft voice of his grandfather took Harry out of his contemplation, and he nodded with enthusiasm. They left the table and went up for Dumbledore's office which was in the tower. The room looked like the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts by its decoration. There were the same golden tools on the shelves and the desk. The notable difference was that the paintings only represented landscapes, allowing a welcome intimity. Three windows gave onto the park, letting the sunshine in. Finally, a spiral staircase in a corner lead to the house master's apartments.

"Hum, let's see," Dumbledore thought while searching in his papers and waving at his grandson to take a seat. "Ah, there."

He took out a blank piece of parchment, a quill and a form written in what appeared to be Russian. He sat at his desk, in front of Harry and started writing.

"Why enrolling me in Russia?" dared to ask Harry after a silence.

"Your mother was Russian, it will be simple for you to obtain the nationality," Dumbledore replied, raising his head from the form. "Right… so you will be enrolled as Ladislas Alexei Grindelwald, son of Wilhem Xander Grindelwald and Alisa Sophia Grindelwald. You will be born the 17th June 1979."

"1979?" Harry repeated, frowning.

"As I will give you back your real age, you will be 13," explained Dumbledore who was reading the form at the same time. "Hum… I'll be your tutor until your majority, and we'll see your account with the goblins, let's not complicate the matter any more. For your scholarship - you are minor - I put that you are under preceptor, is that okay?"

"Preceptor?"

"This gives us a rather comfortable freedom from an administrative point of view, as you will physically 'gain' a year. There will be a need to catch up an academic year so you don't fall behind, or you can go back to school as a third year in September, and so follow just the second years' programme until June…"

"But… where will I go?" asked Harry who felt a sudden panic coming tohim. Going back to Hogwarts was out of the question, to see all his friends, and foes and…

"Where you want," Albus instantly calmed him, and he developed when he saw his lost look. "There are several schools for magic, especially in Europe. Hogwarts is only one of them."

"Oh…" Harry whispered, "I didn't know…"

"You haven't known our world for long… Personally I went to Hogwarts, but your father, and before him your grandfather went to Durmstrang, a Russian school."

While the youngest meditated on these words, Dumbledore finished filling the form, which took him half an hour. Once done, he took the blank parchment, he talked to his grandson, getting him out of his daydream:

"Now, I have several points to clear with you. The school isn't very important at the moment, as you will study here until June. There is first of all the matter of your magic. I will begin by unleashing it, however you might have magical accidents, like when you were a child. But it's especially your magical power that interests me.  
You inherited from your parents, and before that of grandparents of an extraordinary magical power. However, to avoid repeating the story a second time, I looked for a solution, so that your body doesn't suffer a pressure, like Wilhem. I concluded that you need to link to a non-magical being, who will carry a part of your magic, and thus reduce the pressure on your body. You will still have your power, it will simply circulate between you and the being to which you will be linked to."

"But this… being, what is it exactly?" Harry asked, furrowing his brows.

"Well... as you want, it just needs to, initially, not have any magic within it."

"And when do I need to do it?"

"Oh, not now," Dumbledore reassured him with his confident look. I haven't even started unleashing your magic yet. I'd say you have a year to think about it. But it's better that you know, to prepare yourself."

Harry nodded, registering the information. His grandfather had an encouraging smile, before continuing:

"Something else… We delayed to the end of the week your change of appearance, but about your name…"

He left his sentence in suspension, seeming for once unsure of the decision to take.

"Oh... well, I suppose I need to get used to it, simply…" mumbled Harry while bending his head over his knees. Ladislas seemed to be… too exotic compared to Harry. Plus he had always been Harry, not Ladislas…

"Yes, with time, you'll get used to it…"

There was a silence in the office, where a clocked rung midday, while the two Dumbledore thought.

"Hum…" finally risked Harry, who felt his ears blush, "how do I need to call you?"

His grandfather stared at him before bursting into laughter:

"As you want, but don't be so formal!" he warmly answered. "I am your grandfather now, not your Headmaster, nor even a teacher."

"Then… Albus?" tried softly the brown-haired, who couldn't help but smile.

"There, Albus," confirmed his grandfather, "and I will be calling you Ladislas…"

They smiled to each other, this time with a renewed trust, then went back downstairs in the kitchen, where awaited them a meal which was once more succulent. They chatted happily while eating, then went outside to visit the domain, which they couldn't do the day before, as they night had already fallen when they arrived.

They went around the lake whose surface was entirely frozen, then, when they went back to the terrace in front of the castle, took a path which followed the building to join the other side, where was a greenhouse. It was a glass dome, whose interior was full of Muggles' and Wizards' plants. The atmosphere inside was hot and humid, to allow the vegetation to survive during this freezing December. At the centre of the greenhouse, a phoenix statue made in white marble rose gracefully. Harry was once again stunned by the place's beauty, and wnt back light heartedly.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the ground floor's living room. Harry read a history book of wizards, which he found on a shelf, while his grandfather filled in papers for Hogwarts. Around 4pm, snow began to fall, for the younger's visual pleasure who stared, after letting go of his book, at the domain which he had a pretty impressive view of from the living room's bay window.

The evening was relaxed in the same way. After the dinner, Albus told one of the wizard legends he heard one of his travels to Europe, then they went to bed, because the day after, it was planned that they go buy clothes and furniture for Harry.

This night, Harry thought laying in his bed, that he had made the right choice, and that from now on, he wouldn't be alone anymore. He fell asleep a smile to his lips, dreaming of the following days which he hoped would be as interesting.

The day after, after a breakfast spent with his grandfather, he drank polyjuice potion, to take the appearance of a boy his age, while Albus became a mature man in his fifties. The potion had an awful taste, despite its orange colour which made him think of pumpkin juice. His grandfather told him they would have to take some again every hour to stay in their respective appearances, which didn't enchant Harry.

Once their preparations were finished, they went out of the domain, and Apparated towards Cologne, the nearest city with a wizards district. The travel was once more laborious for Harry, who thought he was going to throw up the rest of his polyjuice potion, which he had difficulties getting used to, but ended up getting interested to what was surrounding him, and forget the unpleasant sensation squeezing his stomach.

The access to the district was being done through an alley not much frequented. Dumbledore tapped a wall with his wand, and the bricks animated themselves to leave a way for the two wizards. Obviously, the shopping street was smaller than Diagon Alley, but there were still what they needed for their purchase. They started by a clothings and uniforms shop, where Dumbledore bought an entire wardrobe for his grandson, who couldn't refuse against his grandfather's tenacity.

After that, which took them half of the morning, they went to a library, to buy books for Harry who would stay at the domain until June, just the time to catch up on his year of delay. Indeed, after thinking about it, he decided to go into fourth year in September, so he's not late regarding his age. If the school hadn't been chosen yet, it was nonetheless certain he would work during the remaining eight months, and it didn't displease him.

They ate at twelve o'clock in a restaurant for wizards, to, after lunch, leave Cologne and visit a craftsman who lived in the countryside. There, they chose new furnitures for Harry's room who felt himself blushing at each new purchase from his grandfather. In the end, a huge wardrobe made in oak, with a phoenix engraved on the doors, a more practical desk to work which would go into the room where Harry would study, a lamp which seduced the young man at first glance, and a wooden statuette for Albus's office.

They came back to the domain at around 5pm, where awaited each of them a mug of hot chocolate prepared by Skeeny, and which was delicious. They stored their purchases, then each went about their business, Albus in his office, and Harry in his bedroom. The young Dumbledore contemplated for a long time the new clothes which were now inside his new wardrobe, with a disconcerting happiness. The only ones he ever had were the remaining from his cousin Dudley, then Hogwart's uniform. But now, he had a whole collection of clothes…

He stored in his bookcase the books he chose, then read a chapter on spells in the study room. The latter was situated in the first floor, and was neighboring the library. With a high ceiling and big windows, it was very luminous, and of a light blue tint. A chimney warmed the room gently. Near the windows, alcoves with cushions and blankets were digged into the rock to read comfortably, while work tables as well as desks filled the room. He went down the stairs cheerfully, going to the kitchen to have dinner, and smiled brightly at his grandfather, who happily smiled back.

"So, what do you think of the domain?"

"Great," the youngest enthusiastically replied, his eyes shining, "it's really nice… I'm happy to be here!"

"It's good to hear." Albus smiled. "I was afraid of making a mistake by revealing you your true identity…"

"No!" Harry exclaimed with vehemence. "I'm way better here than at Hogwarts! Even if I liked it a lot, I was… I wasn't myself with the others, especially after the duel with Malfoy…"

"I understand," sighed Albus, "children can sometimes be cruel when they are scared, and…"

"I scare them?" wondered the ex-Gryffindor while furrowing his brows.

"Well... in a way… You are different from them, and, you are for them the Boy Who Lived."

"It's strange," Harry mumbled, diving his head into his plate. "I never knew I was a savior before I was eleven. In the Hogwarts Express, Hermione told me things I didn't even know myself while it… it was about me."

"Miss Granger likes reading a lot," Albus noted with a light smile, "and there are a lot of books about you… You are an enigma for wizards, because you survived the spell of death… when you were a baby."

"Is it because I'm powerful?" Harry asked curiously.

"I do not know," admitted his grandfather, "but I think it is possible. You inherited of a spectacular magic power, that a lot would envy you if they knew about it. Your father was already more powerful than average, because of his magical conception, and of his parents, but with your mother's power, who descends from a great lineage of wizards…"

His voice broke while he thought of the past, probably in view of his far away gaze. Harry silently nodded and finished his meal, meditating the new information he just obtained. His grandfather didn't seem to want to hide his past, and his parents', but didn't give him all their stories in one go either, and he struggled a bit to understand all that happened. He had, in order to understand better the past of his family, bought a book which talked about the Second World War, and about Grindelwald.

"Now that you are settled, it is necessary that I talk to you about something." started Albus while they were beginning to eat their desserts.

Harry rose up his head and scanned his grandfather's face, waiting for him to continue. The Headmaster of Hogwarts caught a letter, which had arrived during the day, Skeeny had told them when they came back from shopping, and put it next to him. He took a deep breath and said:

"I believe I already told you about your twin sister..."

* * *

 **Author's note:**

There you go... it's not a brother, but a sister…

And it's an OC but worry not, I'll do my best so that she doesn't become a Mary Sue (hating them myself...). You'll meet her in the next chapter, where Harry starts to really settle down. I know it's a bit long for a transition, but at the same time, it is necessary to mark the change of life: he leaves Hogwarts, changes his identity, etc…

Anyway, I hope you liked it, if it's the case, don't hesitate to leave a comment :)

 **Translator's note:**

Phew- This one was easier to translate than the previous one. So far there are about 28 chapters, and Harry's twin sister is NOT a Mary Sue, and I really like her alot, so please give her a chance! Admit is, you actually thought it was going to be a guy, am I wrong ;) Tell me if you guessed right!

Also, I thank each and every one of you for reading this fanfic! It would be much appreciated if you left a review, even a small one! I'll see you guys in the next chapter!


	4. Selena Grindelwald

**Author's Note:**

There is the new chapter, with among others, the discovery of Harry's sister.

Enjoy this chapter, I'll see you at the bottom of the page!

 **Translator's Note:**

Hi guys and girls! In her note, the author wrote a dozen lines on Hermione _not_ being Harry's twin sister because her readers asked her this question frequently, but I didn't translate it as it is not relevant to what _you_ think. If you want me to translate her _entire_ notes, say so in the comments, otherwise, I'll only translate what you need to know for this story. Also, in future chapters, there will be tiny spoilers in the notes, do you want me to translate them too, or do you prefer to keep the surprise? Talk to me please, I'd like to get along with you, but I can't have an opinion on my audience if I don't receive some kind of feedback, even negative, as long as it stays constructive of course. I hope you like this chapter!

 **Original Author:** Jin Ginkaku

 **Disclaimer:** The characters belong to the amazing J.K. Rowling. (except a few though)

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Selena Grindelwald**

* * *

The week that followed was unquestionably the best of all times in Harry's opinion. And knowing that it would continue, again and again, without ever having to go back to the Dursley's pleasantly warmed his heart.

The morning, he woke up at around ten, without his aunt to yell at him, or his cousin in a bad mood. He ate alone or in Skeeny's company, who turned out to be the nicest of house elves. The elf had quickly noticed his young master's favourite meals and willingly prepared them for him. And, even if his grandfather advised him to rest, he couldn't wait to catch up with the year he lacked and studied in the study room adjoining the library during all morning ends.

At around half past twelve, Albus came back from Hogwarts to eat with his grandson. The Headmaster had agreed with him that he would work at Hogwarts only the first week, and therefore, they wouldn't see each other a lot. In the afternoon, the white wizard went back, leaving his grandson who went to take a walk in the domain just after eating. The latter revealed itself to be bigger each day, more beautiful, more interesting. The ex-Gryffindor loved to climb one of the hills' slopes circling the property and have an overview on it. When it was too cold, he took refuge in the greenhouse, which reminded him so much of the Herbology classes at Hogwarts, even if it was way prettier than the rooms where he studied with Professor Sprout.

During the rest of the day, he sometimes read, went to study, or helped Skeeny. Day after day, the latter tried as best he could to teach him Russian, as he would shortly have his mother's nationality. For the moment, he had only learnt some key words, but it was enough for him. His grandfather never stopped telling him to take his time and he hoped to take advantage of the present moment. He was also getting used to his new identity, and his name, Ladislas Grindelwald.

Besides, he had done some research about his second grandfather in the family's library - which Hermione would have loved. Some history books didn't hesitate to establish parallels between Grindelwald and Voldemort, which unsettled Harry. But in view of what his grandfather had done, he had to admit that he was indeed a dark wizard.

He had also noticed that no historian seemed to be aware of the relationship his grandfathers had before their final face off. Besides, not even once his father, Wilhem Grindelwald was mentioned, as if his existence had been kept a secret.

During the evening, grandfather and grandson played Wizard's Chess while talking about such and such things. Harry was still more astonished by Albus' culture and wisdom, and he couldn't help but ask him that he narrates him all sorts of stories, which his grandfather did happily.

Finally, Friday came, and with it a big change. Indeed, it was the day Harry would meet Selena, his sister.

When his grandfather had talked about it, he had lingered on several points. Having been raised in the Domain, Selena never had to change her appearance, and was always her real age, thirteen years old. She had been sent to Beauxbâtons, so she didn't suffer from her grandfather's reputation that the English saw from a very bad eye. Furthermore, Albus and her didn't want them to be blamed any affiliation. So she had been in France, for two and a half years.

Albus had assured Harry that she'd be pleased to meet him, but it didn't prevent him from being worried before they left.

"Worry not," Albus tried to reassure him again when they got out of the Domain, "she asked me many times how you were doing and always wanted to know more about you… It was by the way one of our main arguing topics."

"What do you mean?" Harry wondered and he raised his eyes full of curiosity and hope towards his grandfather.

"Well… I never revealed your identity as Harry Potter, so… when she asked me news of you, I stayed very vague. Too much maybe… but she's always wished for you to know the truth."

"Why didn't you do it?" asked the soon to become Russian.

"I didn't want to force you," answered the Headmaster after a thoughtful silence. "I thought you could be happy but... "

"It's a good thing that you ended up telling me the truth." Harry smiled warmly.

They exchanged a complicit look, then prepared to leave. They both took polyjuice potion, so they wouldn't be noticed - Albus was slightly paranoid - and Apparated to Munich. Once there, they went to the SNCF station and asked for a trip to Paris. While they were waiting for their chimney to be ready, Albus told him some information about Beauxâtons and the parisian wizard's community.

"In general, you'll find in books that Paris is divided in twenty districts. However, there is in reality another one, invisible to the Muggles' eyes, for wizards. It's way bigger than Diagon Alley as there is, as well as a shopping arcade, residential accommodations, a reserve for magical animals, and of course, the Beauxbâtons school of magic.  
The French are in a way, less strict than the English. However, they care very much about some of their traditions. For example, they don't have a wizards' train, only carriages drawn by winged-horses. Yet, as it is strictly forbidden to make parents enter Hogwarts, it is authorized - and even recommended - to go pick up the students inside the Institute's property. Oh, it's our turn…"

He stopped his explanations, while the ghost - always as friendly - waved at them to enter the chimney. Now that he knew how a big chimney worked, Harry didn't worry when the flames came to lick the soles of his shoes. He closed his eyes and waited for the silence that would mean they reached their destination.

Apparently, all the SNCF stations were built on the same scheme: one room for the bookings and a yard to welcome travelers, so Harry wasn't disoriented. However, when they left the shop and ended up in the street, he was breathless seeing what awaited him.

If he thought Diagon Alley was impressive, then the place they found themselves to be at was stunning. Dozens of owls were perched on the Haussmannian-style buildings' rooftops circling the street. Shops that presented potions, books of magic, brooms and wands spread along the avenue filled with wizards dressed colourfully. The place was luminous, full of life and colours, and well opened, in comparison to it's English twin which was way more narrow and with duller and darker tones.

Christmas decorations fluttered between people as the shops' windows brightened in reds and greens. High in the sky rose huge, brightly shining Christmas trees, surrounded by the traditional blighters. Ice statues stood in the middle of the large intersections, crafted and charmed so they wouldn't melt. Finally, lanterns were hung in between the buildings, and floated with the wind.

They arrived in a square. In its center was placed a fountain representing Nicolas Flamel discovering the Philosopher's Stone. Up in the sky, wizards traveled from balcony to balcony on their brooms in a general indifference which blew Harry.

"As I told you, the French have less worries regarding Muggles, since they have their own district," Albus commented as they passed in front of Gringotts.

"It's… impressive," Harry whispered, avidly contemplating the surrounding show.

They kept walking along several avenues for a few more minutes before arriving in a French-styled garden surrounded by golden gates. As he passed underneath the front gate, Harry managed to decipher in French: _Académie de magie Beauxbâtons_. He had already seen French gardens in history books, but this one, in addition to the elegance and symmetry this style owned, had wizardry elements, such as plants Harry recognized thanks to the Herbology classes in Hogwarts.

It was magical, Harry beamed while admiring Morgana's fountain.

The gardens were filled with students whose uniforms attracted the young wizard's eyes. Each girl had a dress and a cape in light-blue shades, with an elegant hat of the same colour on their heads. They walked graciously between the flowerbeds, waving at each other with a distinction some could have called snobbism.

As for the academy building itself, it was a castle from the Renaissance with light-grey stones and a tiled-roof. The castle's three storeys were slitted by large windows while two towers rose by the edifice's extremities. At the facade's centre was the school's blazonry: two crossed wands casting sparkles. It seemed more recent than Hogwarts, of which the architecture was more in the Middle Ages' Gothic style.

"I think the third years are over there," Albus indicated while grabbing his grandson by the arm so he didn't lose him in the crowd of parents and students greeting each other for the end of year holidays.

They took a path leading them to stables for creatures similar to pegasus' - Albus precised they were Abraxans after seeing Harry's confused look. Just like the main building, the stables were in the Renaissance style. A few teachers watched as their students departed while those who stayed chatted among each other in a French hubbub of which Harry didn't understand a single word. Finally, Albus discretely showed him the girl who was his sister and who was patiently waiting, away from the flood of students and parents.

In one hand, she held a cat cage while in the other was her suitcase. She observed distractedly the flight of a coach in the sky. As she was thirteen and not twelve, she was slightly taller than Harry. While observing her, the ex-Gryffindor thought that when he'll get his real appearance back, he had few chances of being disappointed - if he looked like his sister anyway.

Her face was pleasant to look at with big eyes between purple and blue - reminding of his grandfather's sparkling gaze. Her complexion was also quite pale, making the colour rather astonishing of her irises stand out even more, while her shoulder-length hair were brown with slight auburn reflections.

Before she noticed them, she had a little impatient hand movement and pulled her chin inside her jacket's collar, attempting to warm up against the cold December air. Albus took his grandson with him and walked closer to her with a warm smile.

"Selena," he greeted her while taking her luggage gallantly, "I hope you haven't waited too long..."

"No," she assured him with a smile, "I just..."

She stopped sharp while her gaze landed on Harry, who had stayed behind. The young girl's purple eyes widened before she paled.

"You… you..." she stuttered, "you are… Ladislas ?"

"Yes," breathed Harry while blushing embarrassingly.

"Ladislas… You're Ladislas..."

She carefully scrutinized her brother, who did the same himself. Harry felt deeply relieved seeing she seemed very pleased to see him. He lips blued by the cold stretched into a smile while she turned towards their grandfather:

"How could you hide this from me?" she said indignantly while displaying a downcast face, highly amusing her brother.

"I wanted to surprise you," Albus smiled and his gaze looked sparklier than usual.

"It worked," Selena assured, bringing her attention back on Harry who smiled shyly.

"Now that the introductions are made," Albus started while searching his cloak's pockets, "I'll have to leave you for a while, I have to discourse with the Headmistress, Madame Maxime. Here, take a few galleons. Selena, you'll show your brother Paris' interesting spots, eat if you want and if you wish to buy anything..."

"Okay," the young girl replied while taking the coins, making a disappointed pout which Harry noticed.

"Stay on the wizard's side, and… let's say you'll be in front of the SNCF agency in an hour?" the Headmaster of Hogwarts thought, already making his way towards the main institute's building.

"See you later!" his grandchildren waved before looking at each other.

"Hum… are you hungry?" Selena asked, taking her brother out of the school grounds.

"A bit," Harry admitted, having eaten early and in little amounts, anxious when thinking about meeting his sister, who is actually really nice.

"We'll buy elvish bread, it fills up quite nicely," chose the young girl, heading towards a shop named _La Baguette Ensorceleuse_. The inside looked like a bakery, with bosh displaying different kinds of breads. While they were waiting in the queue, Harry asked his sister what an elvish bread was.

"It's a sort of bread, very tasty, and especially nourishing. A bite is enough for a whole meal. It's very practical for journeys, when there isn't a lot of space in your bag… It is quite expensive however..."

She stopped when they arrived at the counter and ordered an elvish bread in French and gave half of it to Harry, who took a bite curiously. He was surprised by the bread's taste, which was both crusty and fluffy at the same time. But above all, once he had swallowed the whole bite, he felt a satiety sensation, as he would after a Hogwarts feast while having only taken one bite of this magical bread.

"It's… impressive..." he whispered while they entered the Wizard District's shopping streets.

"You've never had some before?" the young girl wondered, throwing him a curious glance. "There isn't any in England?"

"I don't know," Harry answered with a shy smile, "to be honest, the wizarding world is still very foreign to me."

"No way..." Selena breathed and stopped suddenly. "you… you've been raised by Muggles?"

"Hum… yes."

"Incredible, so Grandfather didn't… I mean..."

They looked at each other with complicity, both of them knowing their grandfather's nature, liking to keep secrets, then carried on walking. After having paced in the big shopping streets, they ended up entering a menagerie. While Harry got closer to the chimney to warm up, his _sister_ started talking to the wizard managing the shop. Not understanding a word of their conversation, harry got interested to the various animals filling the room. He waited for a good ten minutes before his sister grabbed him towards the exit, a food bag in the arm.

"It's for my cat," she explained, "Seshir. He likes acid pops for cats."

"You have a cat… I have an owl, well had..." Harry corrected, a frown taking place on his face. He had to let Hedwig go, being to noticeable.

"When grandpa asked if I wanted a pet, I was in my cat phase," Selena laughed. "He was lucky, because three months later, I would have asked for a dragon!"

"I doubt one can call that a pet," Harry smiled while thinking about Norbert.

"Depends on the point of view," replied his sister, winking at him.

They kept chatting while walking towards the SNCF shop. After having waited a few minutes in front of it, they decided to go inside, but noticed with disappointment that it was no warmer than the outside.

Selena was of really good company. She had always hoped in her childhood to find her twin, despite her grandfather's repeated explanations, and was now delighted to have her brother in the flesh right in front of her.

"Do you know what Albus is doing?" Harry ended up asking, starting to get worried. Their grandfather should have come back a while ago already.

His sister frowned and nodded.

"He's talking to my Headmistress, Madame Maxime..." she muttered and lowered her gaze to her shoes.

"Why?" Harry asked, intrigued. His grandfather didn't see every single student's parents at Hogwarts. First, he didn't need to, and second, he would never have the time to.

"Let's just say that… I have a few issues at school..."

"Oh..." Harry whispered, not knowing what to say.

As an embarrassing silence had set between them, their grandfather came back, an anxious frown on his face. He forced a smile however, and happily asked them what they did, while they waited for the next chimney to Cologne.

The journey back to the Domain was joyful. Albus and Selena occasionally taunted each other, making Harry laugh. He didn't think he could ever do so with his previous Headmaster. Even if he seriously started to get used to the idea the most powerful wizard of the XXth century was his grandfather, he would need some more time to be as accustomed as his sister. However, having been raised by Albus, it was normal for her to be so close to him.

That evening, the diner was very animated: Skeeny had prepared a feast for Selena's return and they found themselves in front of a mountain of dishes, each of them absolutely delicious. Harry and Selena discovered each other, under Albus' soft, moved gaze. He still avoided the remarks skillfully placed by Selena about her brother's past, the latter blushing each time. Harry didn't like the idea of lying to his newly found sister, even if it was closer to dissimulation. But his grandfather had implied that after things had settled, he could eventually reveal his previous identity to the last Dumbledore.

"You'll stay here until June?" wondered the Beauxbâtons student as they were now in the private living room on the second floor. Albus had left them to finish some paperwork, and they had decided to play Wizard's Chess while they kept chatting.

"Yes, that way I can catch up with the year I'm missing," Harry explained.

"Mhh," his sister thought, "and which school will you go to?"

"Good question," admitted the brown haired while scratching his surprisingly smooth forehead. Because his sister didn't know his appearance, he had taken polyjuice again, as it was planned he did the ritual allowing him to take his real appearance back that same evening anyway. "Albus told me there was several schools other than Hogwarts..."

"So it is decided it won't be Hogwarts then?" she said in a surprised tone while glancing at him.

"Yes!" Harry rolled his eyes when imagining going back to his previous school. It was absolutely out of question, especially if his relationship with his grandfather was revealed…

"As you're not a girl, we can exclude Beauxbâtons, then there is Durmstrang if you want to stay in Europe… Oh and there is also Koldovstoretz but it much more complicated to enroll..."

"Koldowhat?"

"Koldovstoretz," Selena repeated while smiling slightly at her close victory however without a surprise given Harry's game, who was still awful at chess, "it's in Russia. But there's about two hundred students who manage to enroll successfully. One needs to be from a good wizards family, to have good enough magic powers, and knowledge way higher than needed for Hogwarts or Beauxbâtons. Koldovstoretz, the best magic school in the world..."

"I thought it was Hogwarts," noted Harry as he frowned seeing the chess board. He felt he would lose soon.

"Well… in the way it admits Muggle-borns and manages to provide them with a suitable education, Hogwarts is indeed the best school, however the elite is situated in Koldovstoretz. They study rare subjects there, like alchemy, occlumency, legilimency, and intuitive magic. The students who graduate from Koldovstoretz are pure geniuses."

"Oh… well, I'll think about it," muttered Harry while registering the information in a corner of his head, promising himself to research about occlumency, legilimency and intuitive magic.

"Yes," Selena encouraged him, "plus in Durmstrang, there's a risk you'll have problems regarding your name."

"My name?"

"Grindelwald," clarified the young girl, "one one side, you'll have his followers who will adulate you, and on the other, the relatives of his victims who will blame you for sure."

"Does this happen to you in Beauxbâtons?" the brown-haired asked while sinking his eyes in his sister's purple-blue ones.

"I..." she hesitated, "yes, I… well… it's alright… no… It's complicated."

"Why don't you change schools?" risked the ex-Gryffindor whose gaze had lost itself in his younger years during which, because he was Dudley's cousin, he hadn't had any friends.

"Because… Hogwarts is even worse regarding mentalities, and gracious me, Durmstrang is meant for boys."

"What about Koldovstoretz?"

"I've applied two years ago, but I wasn't accepted, probably because I hadn't revised anything for the entrance exam… But anyway, I'm at Beauxbâtons, and I won't leave. It would be admitting that..."

"That?"

"That because my name is Grindelwald, I don't have the same rights as the others. It's unfair."

Selena's eyes shone with determination, so much Harry didn't ask anymore questions on the matter. After all, he was stubborn himself, and perfectly understood his sister's reasons. As for him, he just had to do some research about this Russian school.

One one hand, it gave him a change, as he was against the idea of going to Durmstrang, renowned to train dark wizards - including his grandfather. And plus, if it could teach him all he ignored about magic and this new world…

"Check mate!"

The Survivor got out of his reverie and observed the game board, on which effectively, his king had been destroyed by Selena's queen. He smiled, perfectly remembering the full-scale game he had played merely a few months ago, then went on to tidy the remains of the pieces, helped by his sister.

The living room's clock rang ten o'clock, as their grandfather opened the door.

"It's about time to go to bed, don't you think so?"

"Okay," replied Selena before going on, "have you seen Sheshir? He disappeared as soon as we arrived..."

"I think Sheshir is clever enough to manage himself," Albus smiled archly while looking at her above his glasses.

"True," the young lady admitted then stood up to put the chess board away. "Good night, Ladi !"

Once Harry realized it was him she was talking to, she was already gone. He stood alone with his grandfather, who showed him a bright white potion.

"So, I just need to take it?" checked the ex-Gryffindor while examitating it from up close. Its immaculate colour worried him slightly.

"And sleep," his grandfather replied with a wide smile. "When you wake up, you'll be brand new..."

The Headmaster's blue eyes dimmed slightly, as he murmured:

"You'll surely look like him..."

He closed his lids then finally smiled:

"Come on, even if you are on holidays, you'd better not go to bed too late… Good night, my child."

"Good night," Harry whispered while going out in the corridor.

Her sister's bedroom door - the one in front of his own - was closed, so he went into his bedroom directly. Lying on his bed, he observed once more the potion his grandfather had given him. After hesitating for another while, he opened the cap in a soft pop. A smell of fresh and snow elevated in the air before he quickly swallowed the content of the bottle. Before he even noticed it, he was asleep while his body, still transformed by the polyjuice, started to change.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

There you go… Our little Harry's appearance is going to change! This kid is growing up fast…

What do you think about Selena? I hope she doesn't annoy you - this happens a lot with OCs - and that she tickles your curiosity. Who is Sheshir? All the answers are in the next chapter!

Don't hesitate to leave a comment on your feelings, your theories, your ideas, anything you want to talk about!

 **Translator's Note:**

Sorry! I'm so sorry it took so long to translate this chapter, but there it finally is! You've finally met the mysterious twin sister, Selena! She mentioned this school Koldovstoretz. Do you have any idea how tiring it is to write this word over and over again?! I ended up copying and pasting most of them anyway. Bloody long word!

I still thank all of you for reading, following and putting this fic in your favourites, it means a lot to me and the author, as well as the beta reader! There are now 40 chapters published, and the fanfic is far from being over! I can't wait to translate the rest, everything moves and changes a lot from where we are at the moment, so I'll do my best to bring chapter 4 sooner.

I'll - hopefully - see you guys in the next chapter!

 **Extra Note:**

Académie de Magie Beauxbâtons = Beauxbâtons Magic Academy  
La Baguette Ensorceleuse = The Enchanting Baguette

Pretty much similar, but I wanted to make sure you understood everything. Damn me if you've googled it already.

Once again, I'm so sorry for any mistakes. If you spot any, please point them out to me and I'll correct them right away!


	5. Ladislas and Sheshir

**Author's Note:**

Enjoy this chapter, see you below!

 **Translator's Note:**

Hey everyone! I hope you're hyped for this chapter, because I sure as hell was when I translated it! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did!

 **Original Author:** Jin Ginkaku

 **Disclaimer:** The characters belong to the amazing J.K. Rowling. (except a few though)

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Ladislas and Sheshir**

* * *

Harry was very surprised when he discovered his new face when he woke up. He even thought a stranger stood next to him as he saw his reflection in the bathroom's mirror, already flooded by the late morning light, and preparing himself to take a shower before going to eat, however the sight of his new appearance rid him of any idea of bathing.

Like his sister, he now had pale skin, whose colour reminded that of Scandinavian countries inhabitants. His eyes were of the same blue-purple as Selena and had a similar twinkle to Dumbledore's. However, his hair wasn't the same auburn, but was lighter, between ginger and blond. His features reminded those of his grandfather at some places, however his nose was thinner and didn't look broken. But the biggest difference with his previous appearance to him was his forehead: smoothed from all imperfections. His scar had completely vanished. The Survivor was no more.

He was light-hearted when he went downstairs to the kitchen. His grandfather, who was reading the newspapers, lifted his head towards him and had a surprised look, tinged with sadness. His lips were pursed in a smile which hid a nostalgia Harry had never seen in him, while he bent his head on the side to observe his grandson.

"You're Wilhem's spit image," he ended up saying while getting closer to scrutinize him closely. His eyes shone under a veil of tears as he softly ran his hand in his grandson's now strawberry blond hair.

"And do I have my mother's eyes?" Harry tried with an amused smile, though he was still embarrassed by his grandfather's emotion. He had heard that so many times he now found the sentence meaningless and hoped he wouldn't hear it ever again.

"No..." Albus replied, and his eyes twinkled again like usual. "You have... her complexion, her nose, but not her eyes… Your sister looks more like her."

"Could I see a photo?" Harry asked while taking a seat. He started to eat, marvelling once more at Skeeny's cooking skills. He knew perfectly he should have found this normal, however he still had memories of mornings without breakfast because he had burnt Uncle Vernon's bacon. Moreover, Skeeny was the best cook in the world, even though Mrs Weasley's cooking was as delicious.

"Of course, I must have this in a box somewhere… And your sister has one or two photos of Will and Alisa in her bedroom. Speaking of your sister," Albus carried on, "could you wake her up? I have to talk to her, and as I must go back to Hogwarts this afternoon… By the way, I think I won't eat with you tonight, I have a meeting with the House Headmasters which is likely to take longer than expected..."

"Okay," Harry accepted, quickly finishing his breakfast before going back up to the second floor. He waited a few moments in front of his sister's bedroom, then opened it softly. It slid soundlessly, which surprised the young Dumbledore.

His sister's room was filled with darkness. Only the windows covered by the long curtains allowed rays of sunshine to pass through, and were bright enough for Harry to see the shape of a king sized bed. The walls were covered by posters or pictures, so much that one could hardly tell the original paint colour.

A faint scent of orange and lemon floated in the ambient air.

Harry walked in a few steps. His bare feet met a soft and cosy carpet. He reached a curtain fold he spread so he could see better in the dark. The ray of light lit a bookcase which ran along a wall. A few shelves were occupied by figures which weren't without reminding those Albus kept in his office. Finally, in a corner of the room, stood a piece of furniture Harry couldn't recognize. It seemed to have a cubic base and rose the way a slimmer wardrobe would.

"Selena..." the young wizard whispered while getting closer to the bed. He received no reply and repeated his call, careful not to bump into the furniture.

"I would speak louder if I were you..." spoke a rather low and mocking voice which certainly wasn't Selena's. He scrutinized the darkness, but didn't see anyone. His pulse beat faster while the room which previously seemed warm became oppressive. Could it be that the voice he had been the only one to hear at Hogwarts...

"I told you to speak louder, not to shut it..." the voice added, still scoffing.

"Mhhh," whispered Selena from her bed, "shut up… I'm trying to sleep..."

"Um... Selena... " Harry stammered, "I think there's somebody in your room..."

"How sharp, my friend… anything else?" the voice mocked before bursting out in laughter.

This finished to wake Selena up who switched positions, again and again until she managed to get out of bed. She scratched her head while searching a jumper on the floor which she quickly put on. The voice had vanished, but Harry could hear its heavy breathing in the room.

"What time is it?" Selena asked as she yawned, and walked towards the windows to open the curtains. The room was lit by the pale winter light. The posters on the walls were mostly of the Weird Sisters. There were also watercolours representing landscapes, as well as photos of Selena and her grandfather, and young girls wearing the Beauxbatons uniform.

"It's about eleven…" Harry replied, his eyes still searching for the intruder. "Albus asked me to wake you up, he wants to talk to you before he leaves for Hogwarts."

"Probably about Beauxbatons..."

"He didn't tell me the details..." Harry acknowledged before continuing while wondering if the sinister voice from Hogwarts hadn't followed him here. "Say, the talking voice… what is it?"

"A talking voice..." mimicked the said voice, "Selena, you didn't tell me your brother was so clever..."

"Stop that, it's not nice!" the Beauxbatons student replied while turning to the strange piece of furniture Harry still didn't recognize despite the daylight. "Ladislas, this is Sheshir, my cat. Sheshir, show yourself instead of making fun of him..."

From the box forming the furniture's base got out a strangely coloured feline. He was a fat striped cat whose stripes were blue, just like his eyes, abnormally big/huge. He jumped on a shelf's platform - which was in reality a cat tree - until he was at the two young wizards level. Harry raised an eyebrow in front of that more than strange animal. But it was those eyes that got his attention the most.

"So, you are Ladislas?" he asked, as if it was completely natural for a cat to speak.

"You… Speak..." Harry articulated, frowning. He didn't recall having heard of such a phenomenon when Hagrid gave him Hedwig, or even during lessons about magical creatures.

"Yes, that happens," replied the cat whose eyes shone with fun. "Selena, are you sure this is your brother? He doesn't seem too quick-witted."

"On the other hand, a talking cat is rather baffling," Selena defended him, rolling her eyes. "Stop annoying him. Come on Ladislas, let's go downstairs..."

She led her brother out of the room, away from her cat whose low laugh accompanied them as they went down.

"Forgive him, he can't talk to a lot of people, so he takes it on the few people living here… meaning grandpa and me… and you now!"

"How come he can talk?" Harry whispered as he wondered if he was well awake.

"Grandpa told you about our magic which is too powerful, and about the bond with a non magical thing so our body doesn't suffer the pressure, right? Well," Selena explained, "I chose Sheshir, and because at the time we created the bond he was still just a kitten, he started developing a few gifts thanks to my magic, such as speech..."

"So it's normal that he talks..." Harry repeated for the third time, still as shocked.

"Yes," Selena confirmed, "you'll see he's not mean, he just needs to get used to you. Trust isn't natural for him."

Harry nodded, but was still not fully convinced. Albus was still in the kitchen when they got in. He neatly folded the paper and placed it next to him and crossed his hands.

"Selena, before I leave, I would like to talk about Beauxbatons," he said reservedly, as if he apprehended what would come next.

"I bet Maxime wasn't really gentle towards me during your meeting," Selena winced while pouring herself a cup of hot chocolate.

"Madame Maxime," Albus corrected her, "told me about some fights with a few students… less childish than there might have been in first and second year."

"I only replied to their provocations..." the young girl muttered while lowering her gaze to her cup. She wasn't shameful, she was angry.

"This is not the right solution. You have to talk to your teachers."

"My teachers are as terrified as the students, if not more," Selena started lashing out as her hands squeezed around a toast, "after all, you imagine, I'm a descendant of Grindelwald, the biggest dark wizard of the twentieth century… Though they don't know what my link with him is, they know I have one, as I bear his name. After all, be I his daughter, his niece or his third degree distant cousin, they don't care! All they remember is that my name is Grindelwald!"

There was a tense silence in the kitchen, while Albus was finding his words.

"I understand your situation is delicate, however you musn't lower yourself to their level. But I..." he sighed heavily and wearily, "I'll give the word to Madame Maxime."

He stood up and left to go in his office. On his way, he stroked his granddaughter's hair in an affectionate movement, which softened Selena's gaze. She sighed once, then raised her head, meeting her brother's eyes.

"Cool appearance," she said while smiling again, "we look more alike now."

"Yes," Harry agreed, secretly glad for the change of topic, Albus told me I looked a lot like Dad."

Selena tilted her head and examined him thoroughly. Her mouth curved into a pleased smile while her eyes shone the same way her grandfather's did.

"I guess you do look like him," she said after a while. "I take it you've never seen him? If you want, I can show you the pictures I have of him and Mum."

"I would love that," Harry agreed.

He stayed with his sister while she was eating breakfast, then they parted for the remaining of the morning. Harry used this time to study while his sister finished unpacking her stuff. During lunch, no one mentioned Beauxbatons, each chatting about lighter topics, such as Christmas presents. As Harry and Selena didn't know each other well yet, Albus offered them to visit Cologne's shopping centre in the next few days so they could buy their gifts consulting each other.

The Headmaster of Hogwarts left them at the end of the meal, and the two young people spent the afternoon playing Exploding Snap and Gobstones in the second floor's living room, which was by far the warmest room of the house. At around four o'clock, Skeeny brought them a cake with hot chocolate, and ended up agreeing to play with them, after the two Grindelwald had begged him several times.

"How is Hogwarts?" asked Selena at some point during their game of Wizard's Chess they had started when Skeeny went to prepare dinner.

"It's wonderful," Harry answered, a smile painted on his face. "There are stairs that move on their own accord, frames at each corridor… The Great Hall is huge, with four long tables, one for each house. For Halloween, it's filled with pumpkins, with a candy feast… The parc is ginormous, and there is the Quidditch field…"

"You play Quidditch?"

"Yes, as a Seeker," the ex-Gryffindor smiled. "And you?"

"No, not really," his sister admitted, "I got a broom for my eighth birthday, but as grandpa can't play… I never really practiced. And at school, I'd rather let those who are really passionate play instead of me."

"If you want, we can fly together when it gets warmer?" Harry offered with a large smile, already imagining what it would be like to chase the snitch across the Domain in summer.

"When it gets warmer, then," Selena insisted while laughing. She looked through one of the living room's windows and shivered slightly. Outside, snow had fallen all through the afternoon such that a blanket now covered the entire Domain.

The door of the living room opened in a slight creak, which didn't distract the two young people from their game. Sheshir, whom Harry hadn't seen all day, crossed the room and hopped onto his owner's lap, and she proceeded to distractedly pet his head while thinking about her next move.

The second floor's living room was used only by the members of the family, so it was smaller than the one on the ground floor. A fireplace decorated with the Dumbledore's arms warmed up the room of which the floor creaked imperceptibly. A round table sat next to one of the windows, which gave a view down the lake. As the room was into the house's angle, its second window gave on the back of the Domain, as well as the greenhouse. In one of the room's angles was a sofa so big and large one could slouch in it. Finally, a cabinet and a small bookshelf were in the wall recess.

"Hum, I wouldn't do that if I were you," advised Sheshir's low voice before Harry could take Selena's pawn.

"That's cheating!" she pouted, however her smile showed her amusement.

"We have to make it even," Harry defended before explaining under his sister's interrogating gaze, "you're thirteen, and I'm only twelve ! I'm younger, so I need assistance."

"From my cat?" Selena mocked, though she bowed before her brother's argument. "Enjoy it while you can, soon we'll be the same age…"

"Albus told me I'd more or less get my height back by the end of summer. So, Sheshir, what do you advise?"

"First of all, get your hands off the board so I can see clearly," the car commanded, his blue eyes scrutinizing the game with great interest. "Can you really play? It looks like you've randomly moved your pieces…"

"Hum…"

"That's what I thought," the feline smiled resignedly. "Rook in D4."

The rook came to life under the feline's deep voice's orders, without complaining, while Harry had to fight before finally surrendering before the pieces he ended up moving manually, tired of hearing their outrage. The young wizard rose an eyebrow and waited for his sister's next move. He didn't wait long.

The game ended with a lively competition between Sheshir and his owner. Harry, on the other hand, was pleased; it was the first time he ever won a game of chess, and although he had been helped by a cat, he felt wiser. Moreover, past his keen sarcasm, Sheshir was actually very likeable, and, even if he had kept on insulting Harry on his stupidity, the game had been quite fun to watch.

They had even started a new one before eating. As previously planned, Albus didn't come home from his meeting at Hogwarts, so the two young wizards spent their evening together, and with Sheshir too, who, just like them, enjoyed the warmth of the small living room. Thus began Harry's most exciting week.

The three Dumbledore spent their days together, to eat, visit Cologne, play chess and gobstones, chat, and even to study. Albus' eyes often twinkled seeing his two grandchildren getting along so well. Selena was delighted to finally get to know her twin brother, who, even if he kept quiet about his previous life, was everything she could have hoped for. She also took her role of temporary big sister to heart, and deeply insisted to help Harry in his studies. Although the latter was now reluctant to get to work, rather wanting to play or talk with his twin.

For his part, Harry had finally found a family in them. A grandfather somewhat eccentric, who probably wouldn't be present for the next few months, and who, knowing it perfectly well, made the most of his moments. A wonderful sister, who mothered him more than he had ever been those past few years in just a week spent together. An adorable house elf, who tended to his every needs and cried once thanked. And finally, a cat with sharp humour and astonishing wisdom.

It seemed to the former Gryffindor that he had always had his place at the Domain, and that his life at Privet Drive had only been one of his nightmares which faded now that he had found his true place.

On Christmas day, after Albus had been to Hogwarts to speak to the teachers who had stayed, they ate a feast prepared by Skeeny, Selena and Harry who had spent all day cooking.

"I think it is time we open the presents," announced Albus once the clock struck midnight.

In one swipe of the wand, he summoned a pile of packets and first took a yellow one he shoved into Skeeny's hands, whose eyes teared up:

"But… I cannot accept… I…" the creature stammered, starting to vigorously tear the wrapping paper.

Selena rolled her eyes, and whispered to her brother's ear that each year, the elf nearly had a heart attack when receiving his gift. This year, it seemed to be a book from an author Skeeny admired. He skipped up and down for about ten minutes, crying warm tears from the kindness of "Master Albus". At that moment, he looked very much like Dobby when Harry had offered him to sit down.

"There, there," smiled the white mage, "don't get so worked up."

"Yes, sorry, forgive me," the elf sobbed before blowing his nose in his cloth, and - finally - calming down.

"My turn now," said Selena, taking a packet from the pile and handing it to Harry. "For you, it's… er," the young witch explained, "it's not much, but I thought you would like it…"

Harry unwrapped the present, and saw with an overwhelming feeling a picture frame of the ones who seemed to be his parents. Just like Albus and Selena had told him, his father looked a lot like him. He was a man with a charming face although his features were a bit harsher, with purplish-blue eyes, and blond hair with ginger strands. He was smiling at a blue-eyed woman with long ginger hair, a broad smile enlightening her face. Several strands were kept out of the ribbon the same colour as her gaze, and came falling onto her face, so pale it seemed she hadn't seen the sunlight very often. They were both radiant.

"They're beautiful," murmured Harry, gently putting the frame down next to him. "Thank you so much."

"I'm glad you like it," smiled Selena, taking one of his hands in her own and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Silence floated for a short while, shortly cut by Sheshir asking for his own present in such a cheeky way the three Dumbledore burst out laughing.

"Here, the treats you love so much." His owner took out the packet she had bought in Paris with Harry and handed it out to him.

The feline smiled, content, and ate one right away. Harry grabbed a present and gave it shyly to his sister. Fortunately, she liked her gift, and they smiled at each other - he was glad as he didn't know if she would like it. Albus too received a little something from his grandchildren. It was Harry who had found it during their trip Cologne, while they passed by a clothes store; he had remembered what his grandfather had said the previous year about the Mirror of Erised. Thus, Hogwarts' Headmaster found himself with several pairs of socks, each very eccentric-looking, and that he loved very much. The latter ended up taking the biggest present and presented it to both his grandchildren.

"It's a pensieve," he explained after it was unwrapped, revealing a sort of silver basin which seemed to be filled with water, although it surely wasn't. "You can see important memories with it, but it's not the reason I bought it…"

He showed the last two presents and the two wizards jumped on them to open them with haste. Each had got a box containing vials, Harry's were memories from his grandfather from the time he taught Transfiguration.

"With this you can study with resources other than books," Albus explained with a light smile. "For you, Selena, you already know what they are…"

"Phialms!" the Beauxbatons student exclaimed, pulling one by one the vials out to read their labels. "Thank you, grandpa!"

"Erm… what are those?" asked Harry, at a loss.

"Phialms. They're just like Muggle films, except they're made by wizards," Selena explained, letting her excitement show. "So they're not made with Muggle technology, but with actors who play the actions, and whose memories have been copied. Every actors' memories are grouped together, and we get a sort of film, except they're phialms!"

"It's a Muggle-born who invented the concept," Albus added for Harry. "He came up with the name by contracting the words phial and film together."

"But… memory manipulation is very delicate, and phialms are extremely rare. How did you get so many?" Selena asked without letting go of her pleased smile.

"Contacts." Albus answered mysteriously as his eyes shone with amusement.

They stayed in the living room for about twenty more minutes before they went to bed. The following day, Selena showed her brother how to use the pensieve and they watched one of the phialms together.

One simply had to empty the phial inside the basin and sink their head inside. They felt like they were falling for a while, then they arrived in the memory they wished to live or relive like an invisible ghost: their body was immaterial and went through any objects, and nobody notice any undesired presence. It seemed way wore realistic than any Muggle film as they were able to move around freely in the memory, follow this or that character, and thus watch the same phialm several times, discovering each time a new element they might have missed previously.

Finally, a few days after New Year's Eve, Albus summoned Harry in his office while Selena prepared for her journey back to Beauxbatons.

"Ladislas, I wish to talk to you," greeted Albus with a broad smile. "I received word from the Embassy of Russia. I am pleased to inform you that you are officially Russian under the name Ladislas Alexei Grindelwald."

"Oh…they were quick," noticed Harry, surprised. He had thought it would take several months.

"It's partly thanks to your mother," smiled Albus. "Now, we can think about your future school, so we know where to enroll you next September. I believe it's not impossible for you to catch up with the year you are lacking, and thus to ask for an admission in your fourth year."

"I think so too," agreed Harry while scratching his head. "But I still don't know exactly which school I'll choose. Selena told me about Koldovstoretz, but apparently the entry exams are difficult."

"Koldovstoretz would be fitting for you," approved Albus whose eyes dropped on a letter placed on his desk. The seal affixed on the envelope represented a circle in which was engraved a stylized hourglass, that could also remind one of the Yin and the Yang symbol. "And I think the level is affordable for you," the white mage added, after a short time for reflexion.

"Really? I could go to Durmstrang otherwise, but…"

"You are free, Ladislas," Albus reassured him. "We could always send a request to both schools and and then see if you meet the requirements for Koldovstoretz."

"Yes please, let's do this," replied Harry, relieved.

While studying the History of Magic, he had researched about Grindelwald, and the more he learned about him, the more it seemed to him that his grandfather was very much like Voldemort. For the time being, he didn't want to have anything in common with him, so going to the same school he went to repulsed him. Wearing the same name was more than enough, and didn't seem easy given Selena's problems at her school…

"Well. I'll go through the necessary procedures," said Albus, his eyes drifting once again towards the envelope. "Ladislas," he started again, "I must be away for two days. Skeeny already knows, and Selena is going back to Beauxbatons, so you'll be alone… I'll try to come by before going back to Hogwarts, but if my trip takes longer than expected… I can't promise you anything."

"Oh… Okay." Harry nodded and gave his grandfather a last smile before leaving his office.

With Selena at Beauxbatons and Albus at Hogwarts, he already knew he would be particularly alone during the following months. He didn't mind it though, because he would be with Skeeny, and his sister had promised him she would write him often. As for Albus, he would try, to some extent, to be back for the weekends.

Ladislas closed his eyes, his smile still in place.

 _He was happy._

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Here you go…

How do you find our dear Harry's new appearance? And Sheshir, what do you think? (For those of you wondering, I've been greatly inspired by the Cheshire Cat, mainly the one by Tim Burton for the physical appearance).

 **Translator's Note:**

So sorry it took this long to update! I personally apologize to narakunohime whom I told I would publish this chapter nearly four months ago, but Uni started and I was busy with assignments and society. Don't worry though, there's no way I'm giving up on this amazing fic, both for the sake of you readers and for the sake of Jin, who also takes time and effort to bring it to life.

In her note, she asked about the phialms (I translated the name so it made more sense to you guys and gals), she wanted to know if they were a good or a bad idea, but she hasn't really mentioned them again nearly forty chapters later. But I would like to know what you thought about them! Were the descriptions clear enough? Please talk to me! At least I won't feel like I'm translating just for myself…

Anyway, I really don't know when I'll be able to post the next chapter, so bear with me a little. You can entertain yourselves with The Crimes of Grindelwald for the time being, and make up theories about that ending we were given…

Also Harry will be called Ladislas in all future chapters, even in the descriptions, so don't be surprised when you don't see his name anymore, he's still the same person!


End file.
